The Best Dog Travel Accessories + Free Printable Dog Packing List
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Taking a short trip and planning to travel with your dog? Print off my free Dog Packing List and check out some of the best dog travel accessories you won’t want to leave home without!
If you leave your dog with a pet sitter when you travel, you will agree that the costs add up over time. Taking that next trip with your furry companion can be done and does not need to be stressful.
Let’s help you prep!
These tips are good for pet owners of small dogs or large dogs.
Dog Road Trip Essentials
Carry enough food and water for the journey and a little more:
Make sure to pack enough food and water for the journey and a few extra days. I like to ensure the pet food and water are in containers with tight seals and carry along the water bowl
and food bowl
to fill with fresh water and dry dog food as needed.
(Feel free to carry an extra dog bowl
and canned wet food
, just in case. Collapsible travel bowls also work and save on space when packing. I’m partial to stainless steel dog bowls, though.)
If it’s dry food
, carrying variety is always a good idea, especially if your dog is like our Jingle, who tires of eating the same flavors several days in a row. Also, carry several edible treats.
Make frequent rest stops:
Pets, just like their pet parent, need to get out and stretch their legs too. If you find that your pet seems restless, consider stopping to see if they need to use the bathroom, run around a little in the great outdoors, or even stretch out and get a little TLC.
For Jingle, this means playing fetch, lots of belly rubs, and cuddles while lying on her back!
Carry a crate or a seat belt:
If you are traveling, consider getting a pet carrier
, a crate for your car, or a seat belt for your bigger dog. The dog seat belts (or seat belt attachment) can protect them in case of an accident and help them from slipping and sliding all around the seat.
If you prefer to do a dog crate, make sure it’s crash tested. (Smaller dogs may be placed in a dog carrier.)
As far as possible, have your furry friend travel in the back seat over the front seat.
I would also recommend car seat covers to protect your seats from accidents or even if your best friend sheds more than you would like to admit it!
The Best Dog Travel Accessories And Dog Road Trip Essentials To Carry:
Besides food and water, ensure you include these essentials for your pet in a separate travel bag for easy access.
- Two or more dog leashes, dog collars, a dog harness, and identification tags.
Remember, when it comes to keeping your pet’s information safe, nothing works better than microchipping your pet.
I would still recommend having her wear a collar with an identification number tag, but if that falls off, she can still be tracked back to you if, God forbid, you get separated from her.
(When we adopted Jingle, the animal shelter ensured she was microchipped before releasing her into our care.)
- Favorite soft dog toys or things of familiarity.
- A first aid kit for your pet
- A dog water bottle
- A comforting dog blanket
- Poop bags
- A chew toy
- A tennis ball to play fetch during each rest stop or make your own tug toy.
- Calming treats
- GPS pet trackers– while not necessary, this is always one way to have peace of mind, especially when traveling to a new place with your pet.
If air travel is in the plans, pick a comfortable dog carrier
and these pet travel accessories.
(Oh, and don’t forget that pet passport
!)
Consider checking out Chewy.com to get all your dog accessories, dog food, and more at discounted prices.
To help make planning easier for dog owners, here’s a dog travel checklist to print off before your trip, irrespective of the type of travel.
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You’re now all set!
Enjoy the trip, and I’m sure your canine companion will too.
Don’t miss checking out these pet resources:
Helpful Resources for Pet Parents- Dog Tips and More!
Easy to make dog tug toy, using old t-shirts.
It can seem overwhelming, but there is always something we thought we didn’t need, we end up needing- when traveling with pets! #client
Truth! 🙂
There are times when you can’t take your pet in to places with you. There are remote monitoring systems like Canary that monitor the temperature, humidity, etc, in your vehicle or camper, and let you get a video feed to see how your pet is doing, from your cellphone.
Very cool! I have to look into this. Thank you Julie!
I’m disappointed that you didn’t mention how important it is to have your pet microchipped before you travel and to ensure that all of the information in the microchip database is up to date. Collars and tags are effective, but can break and fall off. A microchip with up to date information is infallible.
Oh my goodness, I can’t believe that totally slipped off the list. Thank you for the reminder! I agree microchipping is SO important! Our Jingle was microchipped before we brought her home from the shelter.
I’ve just edited the post to include that information. Thank you again, Meg!